The experience of bird flu, Sars and the current flu season should have been enough to convince health authorities of the need to expand the number of free vaccines available to our children. No such lesson has been learned, though, and Hong Kong lags far behind other developed societies in what vaccinations are given automatically.

The unusually long cold spell has seen flu cases soar and public hospitals record more than 100 per cent occupancy.

'In most medical wards, occupancy is already more than 100 per cent,' the Hospital Authority said, adding that the increase in admissions was caused by the cold spell. This comes just as the city has entered its peak flu season of February-March.